ETA announces by letter that "it has completely dissolved all its structures"

The Basque separatist organization ETA announced on Wednesday that "it has completely dissolved all its structures" after four decades of attacks for the independence of the Pais Vasco and Navarre.

"ETA has decided to terminate its historical cycle and its function ending its journey therefore ETA has completely dissolved all its structures and has terminated its political initiative " the organization said in a letter dated May 16. Aprilpublished this Wednesday by the digital publication eldiario.es.

The organizationwhich was created in 1959 tried for the first time in 1968 says it wants to open "a new political cycle in the Pais Vasco.

He points out that the dissolution "closes the 60-year historical cycle of ETA warns above all that the announcement "does not surpass on the other handthe conflict that Euskal Herria maintains with Spainwith France" where it demanded the independence of the Pais Vasco French.

A senior official of the Basque government told AFP that the letter does not suppose the definitive announcement of the dissolution of ETAthat it will take place this Thursdayprobably through a video to the BBC.

"It is a letter that ETA has sent in advance to personalities entities that participated seven years ago in the declaration of Aiete"an international conference that led in October 2011 to the definitive end of the armed struggle by the band.

According to himthe purpose of the letter is to assure those actorsincluding former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan and the former leader of Sinn Féin Northern Ireland Gerry Adams"that his decision [to dissolve] is serious."

A Euskadi Ta Askatasuna (homeland and freedom in Basque) is attributed 829 deaths in addition to extortion to employerskidnappings in its four decades of violence for the independence of the Pais Vasco nd Navarra.